Apparatus for drawing metal wire and the like and the method thereof

ABSTRACT

AN APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DRAWING CONTINUOUSLY MOVING ALUMINUM WIRE. THE APPARATUS INCLUDES ONE OR MORE DRAWING MACHINES HAVING A HOUSING THAT FORMS A DRAWING CHAMBER AND A RESERVOIR FOR LIQUID DRAWING LUBIRCANT. DRAWING DIES ARE MOUNTED WITHIN THE DRAWING CHAMBER IN COAXIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH RESPECT TO THE MOVING WIRE, AND AT LEST AN UPPER AND A LOWER TIER OF DRAW ING BLOCKS DIRECT AND PULL THE MOVING WIRE THROUGH THE DIES. THE LEVEL OF THE DRAWING LUBRICANT IN THE RESERVOIR IS MAINTAINED OBOVE A PREDETERMINED LEVEL SO THAT THE LIQUID LUBRICANT WETS AT LEAST ONE OF THE DRAWING BLOCKS OF THE LOWER TIER THEREBY TO CAUSE THE LIQUID LUBRICANT TO BE SPRAYED AND COOLED BY THE DRAWING BLOCK OR BLOCKS OF THE LOWER TIER. THE DRAWING MACHINE IS CONNECTED IN A CLOSED FLOW LOOP WHICH INCLUDES A STORAGE TANK, A PUMP, A LUBRICANT COOLER AND CONTROL VALVE.

Sept. 20, 1971 F. B. KlLcolN f 3,605,455

' APPARATUS FOR DRAWING METAL WIRE AND THE LIKE AND THE METHOD THEREOF yOriginal Filed Oct. 11, 1967 United States Patent O 3,605,466 APPARATUSFOR DRAWING METAL WIRE AND THE LIKE AND THE METHOD THEREOF Frank B.Kilcoin, 4514 Beaver Ave., Fort Wayne, Ind. 46807 Continuation ofapplication Ser. No. 674,537, Oct. 11, 1967. This application Nov. 26,1969, Ser. No. 880,227 Int. Cl. B21b 45/02 U.S. Cl. 72-43 7 ClaimsABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An apparatus and method for drawingcontinuously moving aluminum wire. The apparatus includes one or moredrawing machines having a housing that forms a drawing chamber and areservoir for liquid drawing lubricant. Drawing dies are mounted withinthe drawing chamber in coaxial relationship with respect to the movingwire, and at least an upper and a lower tier of drawing blocks directand pull the moving wire through the dies. The level of the drawinglubricant in the reservoir is maintained above a predetermined level sothat the liquid lubricant wets at least one of the drawing blocks of thelower tier thereby to cause the liquid lubricant to be sprayed andcooled by the drawing block or blocks of the lower tier. The drawingmachine is connected in a closed ilow loop which includes a storagetank, a pump, a lubricant cooler and control valve.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is a continuationapplication of application Ser. No. 674,537, filed Oct. l1, 1967, nowabandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to thefabrication of metal wire and more particularly to an improved apparatusfor drawing aluminum wire and the method thereof.

In apparatus for drawing continuously moving wire, wire is passedthrough a series of dies in a drawing machine. The moving wire is pulledthrough the dies by drawing blocks. While the wire is being drawnsuccessively through the series of dies, liquid lubricant is sprayedover the wire, the dies, and drawing blocks. Excess liquid lubricant isreturned to a storage tank, and additional lubricant is pumped from thestorage tank through a cooler to the drawing machine.

Problems have been encountered with such drawing machines wherelubricants, such as the oletinic compositions, having relatively lowlatent heats of evaporation are employed. Although the temperature ofthe lubricant in the reservoir of the drawing machine is not signicantlyincreased, a loss of lubricant resulting from evaporation of the liquidlubricant at the dies has in some applications been excessive. Also,where aluminum wire is being drawn, diihculty has been experienced inwire sticking to the drawing blocks. It will be appreciated thatexcessive loss of lubricant is not only costly but also may presenthealth hazards to operating personnel. Wire sticking to the drawingblocks may not only damage the wire but 4frequently may necessitatestopping the operation of the drawing machine.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improvedapparatus for drawing metal wire and the method thereof.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide an improvedapparatus and method for drawing continuously moving aluminum wirewherein excessive vaporization of an oleinic lubricant is effectivelyreduced.

3,655,465 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordancewith one form of my invention, I have provided an improved apparatus andmethod for drawing continuously moving aluminum wire. The apparatusincludes one or more drawing machines having a housing `that denes adrawing chamber and a reservoir for liquid y drawing lubricant, lanentrance opening for the entry of the moving wire into the drawingchamber and an exit opening for the moving wire leaving the drawingchamber. In the drawing chamber dies are mounted in generally coaxialrelationship with respect to the moving Wire, and at least rst yandsecond levels, such as an upper and lower tier, of drawing blocks areprovided for pulling and guiding the moving wire through the dies.Suitable sprayers are positioned within the drawing chamber for applyingliquid drawing lubricant during operation to the dies, drawing blocksand moving wire.

According to one aspect of my invention, I have provided a means formaintaining the level of the liquid drawing lubricant in the reservoirof the housing above a predetermined level whereby the liquid drawinglubricant wets one or more of the drawing blocks of the lower tier tothereby cause the liquid drawing lubricant to be sprayed by the rotatingaction of the blocks. In a more specic aspect, I have employed a dammingplate in the reservoir to insure that the liquid drawing lubricant doesnot fall below the desired predetermined level.

By another aspect of the present invention, I provide an improved methodfor drawing continuously moving aluminum Wire including the steps ofguiding and pulling aluminum wire in at least two levels through thedies by the number of drawing blocks arranged in the at least first andsecond levels in the housing. Liquid drawing lubricant is cooled andsprayed from the reservoir generally toward the drawing blocks of thesecond level within the housing by wetting at least one rotatabledrawing block of the rst level with liquid drawing lubricant from thereservoir as a portion of the at least one drawing block is beingrotated in the reservoir, thereby causing the lubricant to be thrownaway from the rotating portion. This lubricant is directed into contactwith at least one rotatable drawing block of the second level, andadditional lubricant is sprayed onto the same .block from locationsother than the at least one rotating drawing block of the rst level. Theliquid drawing lubricant in the reservoir is maintained at a levelsui'licient to wet the rotating portion of the at least one rotatabledrawing block as the aluminum wire is being guided and pulled throughthe dies in the housing. Also, the closed ow loop is provided forcirculating the liquid drawing lubricant as the aluminum wire is beingguided and pulled through the dies.

Important advantages of this invention are that it makes it possible toachieve relatively lower lubricant temperatures Within the drawingchamber, to achieve a more effective lubrication of the wire at theblocks thereby to minimize wire sticking, and to reduce lubricant lossresulting from evaporation.

Further aspects and advantages` of the invention will become apparentfrom the more detailed description of the invention rwhich follows. Itwill be understood that the specification concludes with claims whichclearly point out and distinctly clairn the subject matter which Iregard as my invention. The invention, however, both as to organizationand method of operation, may be best understood with reference to thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingin which:

3 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a schematic representationof one form of the improved apparatus, particularly suited to practicethe method, the figure illustrating a system wherein three drawingmachines are employed to draw three strands of continuously movingiwire; and

FIG. Z is an elevational View of the drawing machine with portionsthereof cut away to illustrate the internal arrangement of thecomponents of the drawing machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more specificallyto FIG. l of the drawings, I will now more fully describe one forni ofthe apparatus, particularly suitable to practice the method, for drawingcontinuously moving wire, which is generally identified in the drawingby the reference numeral It will be seen that the apparatus 10` includesthree drawing machines 11, 12 and 13, which are connected in a closedlubricant liow loop. 'I'his iiow loop includes a storage tank 14, a pump15, a lubricant cooler 16 and a control valve 17.

Liquid drawing lubricant from the reservoirs of the drawing machines 11,12' and 13 return by gravity ow through return lines 18, 19 and 20`joined to a common line 21 connected to the storage tank 14. The suctionside of pump 15 is connected with the storage tank 14 by a section ofpiping 22` while the discharge side of the pump is connected by suitablepiping 23 to the lubricant cooler 16. Liquid drawing lubricant leavingthe lubricant cooler 16 passes through a control valve 17 whichregulates the quantity of lubricant supplied to the individual drawingmachine inlet lines 26, 27 and 28.

11n the illustrated exempliiication of the invention, cooling water isadmitted to the header of the lubricant cooler 16 by means of an inletvalve l29 and leaves the lubricant cooler at the outlet connection 30.Further, in the exemplication of the invention a conventionaltemperature sensing device was used to sense the temperature of theliquid drawing lubricant leaving the lubricant cooler 16. Thetemperature sensing device is connected in a conventional circuit thatcontrols valve 2'9 to vary the amount of water admitted into thelubricant cooler 16 in response to changes from a preselected lubricanttemperature thereby to maintain the temperature of the lubricant at thepreselected level.

The wires 32, 33 and 34 to be drawn by the drawing machines 11, 12 and13 are brought out from pay-off reels 35, 36 and 37 over series of guidesheaves 38, 39 and 40. The nished drawn wires 41, 42 and 43 leave thedrawing machines 11, 12 'and 13 at the opposite sides and pass overguide sheaves 44, 45 and 46- to storage reels 47, 48 and 49. Although inthe exempliiication of the invention, the finished wires 41, 42 and 43are shown being fed to storage reels 47, 48 and 49, it lwill beappreciated that the wires leaving the drawing machines may be feddirectly to an 'annealing oven, enameling oven, or other wire processingequipment.

yIn the apparatus 10 exemplifying one form of my invention, aluminumwire was drawn. It will be understood that the term aluminum as usedherein is intended to include not only aluminum itself but alsocompositions in which the aluminum is present in an amount equal to atleast 50% of the total weight of the composition, as for example,aluminum alloys. Representative aluminum compositions that may be drawnwith the apparatus 10 are disclosed on pages 851-853 and S65-958 ofMetals Handbook, volume '1, Properties and Section of Metals, AmericanSociety of Metals, Novelty, Ohio, Eighth edition (1961). Although wirefabricated o'f aluminum was used in the apparatus exemplifying myinvention, it will be appreciated that the apparatus 10 may be used todraw other metal wires.

Having more speciiic reference now to FIG. 2, I will now more fullydescribe the drawing machine 11. The

4 other two drawing machines 12 and 13 are of substantially identicalconstruction, and therefore the detailed description respecting drawingmachine 11 is, of course, applicable to the drawing machines '12 'and13.

The drawing machine 11 includes a housing 50 that forms an enclosure fora drawing chamber 51 and a reservoir 52 for liquid drawing lubricant 53.In order to make the drawing chamber r51 readily accessible, a hingedcover 55, a portion of which is cut away as shown in FIG. 2, forms awall of the housing 50. The wire 32 from the pay-off reel 35 enters thehousing 50 through an entrance opening 56, is pulled through a -irst die57 by drawing block 58, through die 59 of die box 60 by drawing block 61and through die 62 of die box y60 by drawing block 58. -It will be notedthat draiwing blocks 58, 61 form an upper tier for directing and pullingthe wire essentially horizontally through dies 57, 59 and 62.

The wire leaving drawing block 58 is diagonally pulled through a die 63by drawing block 64 of the lower tier and then is pulled by drawingblock 65 through die 66 of die box 67. Final finishing of the wire isaccomplished as the wire is pulled through the final dies 68, 69 by thedrawing block 70 mounted on the outside of the drawing machine housing50.

It will be understood that the drawing blocks are by means of a chain 71driven by a motor 72. Since the drawing block drive system employed isconventional, a detailed description is not given herein. For detailsrelating to such systems, reference may be made to U.S. Letters Patent2,557,215, 2,884,120 and 2,996,170 granted to Carl O. Bruestle.

During operation the dies 57, 59, 62, 63, 66, 68 and 69, the movingwire, and rotating drawing blocks 58, 61, 64 and 65 are sprayed with theliquid drawing lubricant within the drawing chamber y51. The portion ofsupply line 26 Within the drawing chamber 51 is formed with a series ofspray nozzles 74, 75, 76. It will be seen that the supply line 26 hastwo feeder lines 77, 78 connected with it that lubricate nozzles 79,respectively. Also, supply line 26 terminates in a feeder line '81 whichpours lubricant into die box 67.

It will be noted that the bottom of the housing serves as a reservoiry52. for the liquid drawing lubricant. In the illustrated exempli'cationof the invention, the liquid lubricant is returned to the storage tank14 through an outlet 82 and connection 18 by means of gravity ow.

iIn accordance with one feature of my invention, I have provided adamming plate 83 which extends transversely across the reservoir tomaintain the level of the lubricant to the right of the damming plate83, as viewed in FIG. 2, at a predetermined level. The vertical heightof the damming plate 83 is designed so that the level of the liquidlubricant in the reservoir is suiiiciently high to wet the drawingblocks of the lower tier. With the drawing blocks 64 and 65 partiallysubmerged in the liquid lubricant, considerable quantities of thelubricant are sprayed within the drawing chamber 51. vIn particular, itwill be noted that the underside of both of the drawing blocks 58, `61of the upper tier are sprayed and that additional spraying on thetopside of the drawing blocks 64, 65 of the lower tier is achieved. Itis believed that a scattering effect is achieved within the drawingchamber 51 that not only augments the amount of lubricant being appliedto the continuously moving wire, drawing blocks and dies, but alsoproduces a pronounced cooling effect. The resultant cooling is found tobe an important advantage where aluminum wire is being drawn and wherethe lubricant is of an olefinic composition since such lubricants have arelatively low latent heat of evaporation. It will be appreciated thatthe pictorial representation in FIG. 2 of the spray generated by thedrawing blocks 64, 65 is at best a schematic showing.

The olenic compositions used as a lubricant in the exemplification of myinvention are fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,288,715, granted toRobert S. Owens and Leon E. St. Pierre and assigned to the presentassignee. The olenic compositions may be mixed with mineral orhydrocarbon oils having viscosities of from 25 to 10,000 SayboltUniversal Seconds (S.U.S.) and may be a single hydrocarbon or a mixtureof hydrocarbons. Although olenic compositions are preferably used withaluminum wire, it will be appreciated that other lubricants suitable foruse with the specific metal composition of the wire may be employed inthe practice of this invention.

In the exemplitcation of my invention, the dies used producedapproximately one American Wire Gage size reduction as the aluminum wirepasses through a particular die, and the dies were of conventionalconstruction. It will be appreciated that the actual number of dies tobe used in a given application will depend on the initialcross-sectional area of the wire being fed into the drawing machine andthe desired final size of the finished wire.

From the foregoing description of the apparatus for drawing continuouslymoving wire and its operation, it will be apparent that I have providedan improved arrangement for achieving lubrication of the components ofthe drawing machine and for effecting a reduction in the temperature ofthe liquid drawing lubricant in the drawing chamber. An importantadvantage of the irnproved arrangement is that it is possible tominimize sticking of the wire to drawing blocks and also to effectsignificant reductions in the amount of lubricant loss.

Although the present invention has been described by reference to aparticular embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that manymodifications may be made to the means for maintaining the lubricant inthe reservoir at a selected level without actually departing from theinvention. For example, it will be apparent that the level of thelubricant in the reservoir may be maintained by locating the outletconnection at a preselected height thereby to maintain the liquid in thereservoir above a preselected level. Also, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that the drawing blocks and dies can be rearranged inthe drawing chamber without basically changing the functionalarrangement. It is, therefore, intended by the appended claims to coverall such modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of theinvention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. Apparatus for drawing continuously moving aluminum wire, saidapparatus comprising a drawing machine including a housing having adrawing chamber, a reservoir for liquid drawing lubricant, an entranceopening for the entry of the moving aluminum wire into the drawingchamber, and an exit opening for the moving aluminium wire leaving saiddrawing chamber, said drawing machine further including a. die meansmounted within said drawing chamber in coaxial relationship with respectto the moving aluminum wire, at least an upper and a lower tier ofdrawing blocks for guiding and pulling the moving aluminum wire throughsaid die means, means for driving said drawing blocks, spraying meanspositioned within said drawing chamber for applying the liquid drawinglubricant to said die means, said drawing blocks and the moving aluminumwire, and means for maintaining the level of the drawing lubricant inthe reservoir of said housing above a predetermined level whereby theliquid drawing lubricant wets at least one of the drawing blocks of saidlower tier thereby causing liquid drawing lubricant to be sprayed andthereby to be cooled within the drawing chamber by the rotation of saidat least one drawing block; means for storing the liquid drawinglubricant; means for cooling the liquid drawing lubricant; means forpumping the liquid drawing lubricant; and piping means connecting saidreservoir and spraying means, said means for storing the liquid drawinglubricant, said means for pumping lubricant and said means for coolingthe drawing lubricant thereby to provide a closed flow loop for thecirculation of the liquid drawing lubricant.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 wherein said -means formaintaining the level of the liquid drawing 1ubn'cant includes a dammingplate mounted in said reservoir to prevent the level of the drawinglubricant under the drawing blocks of said lower tier from falling belowsaid predetermined level, and the drawing lubricant is an olefiniccomposition.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least two drawingmachines are connected in said closed flow loop, said drawing machinesbeing connected in parallel flow circuit relationship with each other.

4. A method for drawing continuously moving aluminum wire in a housinghaving a reservoir of liquid drawing lubricant, the method comprisingthe steps of: guiding and pulling aluminum Wire in at least two levelsthrough dies, mounted in coaxial relationship relative to the aluminumwire within the housing, by a number of drawing blocks arranged in atleast rst and second levels in the housing; cooling and spraying theliquid drawing blocks of the second level within the housing by wettingat least one rotatable drawing block of the rst level with lubricantfrom the reservoir generally toward the drawing liquid drawing lubricantfrom the reservoir as a portion of the at least one drawing block isbeing rotated in the reservoir thereby causing liquid drawing lubricantto be thrown away from the rotating portion; and maintaining the liquiddrawing lubricant in the reservoir at a level suflicient to wet therotating portion of the at least one rotatable drawing block as thealuminum wire is being guided and pulled through the dies in thehousing.

S. The method of claim 4 in which the liquid drawing lubricant is anolenic composition mixed with oil having a viscosity in the range from25 to 10,000 Saybolt Universal Seconds.

6. The method of claim 4 including the step of: directing the cooled andsprayed liquid drawing lubricant into contact with at least onerotatable drawing block of the second level, and spraying the at leastone rotatable drawing block of the .second level with additional liquiddrawing lubricant from locations within the housing other than the atleast one rotating drawing block of the first level.

7. The method of claim 6 including the step of providing a closed flowloop for circulating the liquid drawing lubricant as the aluminum wireis being guided and pulled through the dies.

' References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,427,100 8/ 1922 Gilbert72-286 1,659,591 2/1928 Busey 72-45 2,633,234 3/1953 Kivley 72--442,704,151 3/ 1955 Holbrook 72--43 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner E.M. COMBS, Assistant Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OFCORRECTION Patent NO 3,605 ,466 Dated September` Z0, 1971 Frank B.Kilcoin Inventor(s) It is certified that err or appears in theabove-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are herebycorrected as shown below:

In the heading to the printed specification, after line S insertassigner to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Signedand sealed this 1st day of August 1972,

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.ELETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissionerof Patents QM PO-105O (I0-69) USCMM-DC G0376-P69 9 US GOVERNMENTPRINTING OFFICE: ISIS 0*!56-33,

